Brandywine School District and its educators reached a new contract agreement Monday night. (Photo of Brandywine High School)

Brandywine, educators strike deal after teachers hit picket lines

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Brandywine School District and its educators struck a deal Monday night after a nearly year-long contract impasse. The district, which is the fifth largest in the state, agreed to raise the pay and protect the working conditions of more than a thousand public school teachers and specialists. “This is a huge win for teachers and specialists here in the Brandywine …

Over 1,000 of Brandywine's educators are working on expired contracts. (Photo by Halfpoint/Adobe Stock)

Brandywine teachers hit the picket lines ahead of holidays due to expired contracts

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

WILMINGTON – An expired contract situation in Brandywine School District has tainted the holiday spirit of teachers, as they began to picket the district Tuesday in the first local educators’ union picketing in well over a decade. “I am shocked and saddened to be in this position,” said Jeannette Wilt, a computer and math teacher in the Brandywine School District …

The Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force has to submit its final report to the General Assembly by Nov. 1. (Photo by Louis-Photo/Adobe Stock)

School climate group putting final touches on recommendations

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A state agency focused on improving the social environment of schools is closing in on submitting its final recommendations after reviewing a 25-item draft Monday night. The 24-member Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force, made up of government and educational officials as well as school behavioral specialists and resource officers, is focusing on family engagement, safety on school buses, …

The survey gave a snapshot into the various challenges educators face with school climate and student behavior. (Photo by Nikada/iStock Getty Images)

Survey: many teachers injured by students, lose class time

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A survey among more than a thousand educators found that one in three are worried about receiving a physical injury from a student, while 20 percent have been injured from a student. The report was shown to the 24-member Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force Monday night, which is made of government and educational officials as well as school …

A new survey shows that school climate has had an effect on teachers, perhaps pushing them away from the field in Delaware. (Photo by Media_Photos/Shutterstock)

Survey shows majority of teachers dissatisfied, likely to retire early

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A lot of the state’s teachers are concerned about the working conditions in schools, and new survey results shared at a state committee meeting Monday night put hard data behind those claims.  The survey was presented at the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force meeting. That group, created in March, is made of government and educational officials as well …

The Redding Consortium voted to remove Christina School District from the city of Wilmington as part of its proposed redistricting plan.

Redding votes to remove Christina from Wilmington

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The members of the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity voted Thursday night to remove the Christina School District from the city of Wilmington in a redistricting plan. Those for the move said that removing Christina’s three schools inside the city that don’t connect to the rest of the district will allow the consortium to better focus its efforts on the …

Retiree subcommittee

Panel: State should make 1% extra retiree funding the law 

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

A subcommittee exploring state retiree health plans on Monday voted to recommend that the General Assembly codify putting 1% of the state budget into a fund that pays retiree benefits to lower the billions of dollars of deficit. The State Employee Benefits retiree subcommittee asked Cheiron, a consulting firm, to look into additional ways for the state to lower the …

Child care 6

Kent, Sussex child care centers may get higher Del. payments

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

A bill that would force the state to pay Kent and Sussex County child care programs the same fees that it pays New Castle ones seems headed to the Senate floor. No one spoke against Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, when it came up Wednesday in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. Gay said …

Many First State teachers got their wish Monday as the Public Education Compensation Committee decided to move its meetings back to a later start time. (Unsplash)

Teacher’s union gets 1 wish: Pay committee moves meeting 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Delaware’s state teachers union got one of its wishes Monday when the state committee charged with adjusting the salaries of public school workers announced it will push its monthly meeting back an hour. Mark Holodick, education secretary and chair of the Public Education Compensation Committee said at the start of Monday’s regular meeting that starting next month, the committee will …

The state teachers union is calling for Public Education Compensation Committee meetings to be moved to later in the day in order to allow more teachers to attend. (Freepik)

Teachers union calls for pay committee to #MoveTheMeeting

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Delaware’s teachers union is circulating a petition that demands a state compensation committee move its monthly meeting time an hour later so teachers can attend. Right now, the Public Education Compensation Committee, which is considering raises for teachers and other school workers, meets at 3:30 p.m. Lack of teacher voice “If you want to hear from educators, hold meetings when …